Starting next year, your Virginia vehicle inspection sticker will be placed in the lower left corner of your windshield, not the center, according to the Virginia State Police.

The change is due to new innovations in the automotive industry, police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said in a news release.

Many carmakers now offer crash avoidance technology, which uses the center of the windshield. Placing items in that area, including stickers, could keep those systems from operating properly, Geller said.

The change will also apply to any other authorized stickers, she said.

The purpose of the state’s inspection program is to promote highway safety, Capt. R.C. Maxey Jr., Virginia State Police Safety Division Commander, said in the release.

“The crash avoidance technology is another tool provided by manufacturers to ensure vehicles operated on the roadways are safe at all times,” he said. “Therefore, we immediately began evaluating the situation and set forth to make the necessary changes to the Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Manual, which governs the placement of the safety inspection sticker on all vehicles.”

Safety Division personnel began notifying all certified inspection stations of the change on Dec. 2. The change will go into effect on Jan. 1, Geller said in the release.

The sticker itself will be unchanged, she said.

Existing inspection stickers are to remain in their current position – in the bottom center of the windshield. New 2019 stickers must be placed in the lower left corner, which is consistent with other states across the nation, Geller said.